Friday Fives: Reasons To Be Thankful

This past Wednesday’s RTW asked us about the writing/publishing things for which we are most thankful. Today, the Paper Hangover folks are being a little broader in scope. The challenge for this week’s Friday Fives is: What are the FIVE things you’re thankful for? Since I discussed writerly things on Wednesday, today I’ll focus on other things for which I’m thankful. If you don’t know what Friday Fives is about, check out the Paper Hangover blog. Here’s my list (in no particular order–except for the first one):

Jesus. If you’ve been following my blog for more than a few weeks, this should be no surprise. Christ is my Lord, my Savior, and my Redeemer. How could I not be thankful for all he has done on my behalf?

My family. I have a great family. My wife, my kids, my mother, my brothers, and even my in-laws. Yes, I am blessed with a fun (and funny) mother-in-law, who puts up with our horde invading on holidays, and does so with cheer and goodwill. And I was so blessed to have my brothers with me for a few short weeks. The house is a little emptier without them. 🙁

My church. You would think in a country, and in an area of the country, with such a proliferation of churches, it would be easy to find a church with which you feel at home both theologically and relationally. Since we moved to this area of the state, though, we have not found that to be the case. However, from the first few weeks at Christ Presbyterian, we’ve felt at home. My family and I are Baptist, so we don’t see eye-to-eye on the infant baptism and Presbytery stuff, but those are minor points compared to all the areas with which we heartily agree. And they still love and accept us, which is cool!

My job. I don’t write for a living, so you might wonder why I would be grateful for my job. And, to be honest, I’m not always grateful. There are times when I moan about not being able to write full time, and having to get up in the morning to drive in to work. But when I stop and think about it, first, I have a job, which is no small thing in the current economy. Second, my work can be challenging–even fun–and, frankly, there are many worse jobs I could be doing. Indeed, I’m sure there are people who would love to have my job. Third, I work with some nice people, and my boss is not unreasonable (quite the opposite, in fact), and will often let me work from home if I need to. So, yeah, I’m thankful.

My wife. Okay, so I sort of included her under “my family,” but she deserves to be singled out, especially since we’re getting ready to celebrate 20 years of marriage in a few weeks. She’s my best friend, my best critic, my soul-mate, and the best cook I know. I’m a better person for her being in my life, and I couldn’t imagine life without her. Oh, and she reads my blog!! I love you, wifey! :*

There’s my five. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season?